o him. He is a very naughty boy, but I know how to
manage him. Come 'long, Orion; come 'long wid sister Di." She grasped
the little boy firmly with one of her own stout little hands, and
pulled him up on to his feet.

"Diana, you are not to interfere," said Miss Ramsay. "Come, Orion;
come and explain what is the matter."

"Lollipops," moaned Orion, "and ginger-beer. Oh, I did like the
lollipops, and I was so thirsty I thought I'd never leave off drinking
ginger-beer."

"But where did you get lollipops and ginger-beer? Mrs. Dolman never
allows the children to take such unwholesome things. What can you
mean? Where did you get them?"

To this question Orion refused to make any reply. Baby as he was, he
had a confused sort of idea of honor. Philip and Conrad had told him
that he was on no account whatever to mention the fact that they had
gone away fishing on the previous afternoon, that they had visited a
little shop and spent some of Orion's own money. Philip and Conrad had
no money of their own, but before he parted with the children, Mr.
Delaney had given the two elder ones five shillings apiece, and the
two younger ones half a crown, and Orion's half-crown had seemed great
wealth to Philip and Conrad, and had accordingly induced them to treat
the little fellow with marked consideration. The whole of the money
was now gone. How, Orion had not the slightest idea. He only knew that
his pockets were empty and that he felt very sick and very miserable.

He shut up his little lips now and raised his eyes, with a sort of
scowl in their expression, to Miss Ramsay's face.

"Where did you get the lollipops and ginger-beer?" repeated the
governess.

"That's my own business," said Orion. "I'm drefful sick; I want to go
to bed."

"You are a very naughty little boy," said Miss Ramsay.

"I think him a brick," whispered Philip to Conrad.

"Hush, for goodness' sake!" whispered back Conrad.

"I want to go to bed," repeated Orion. "I'm drefful sick; I'm quite
tired of telling you. I have got a headache and a pain in my tumtum."
Again he pressed his hand to his stomach and looked imploringly around
him.

"What's all this fuss?" here burst from Diana. "Why can't Orion go to
bed? New teacher, you has a very queer way of managing sildrens. When
we was at home we went to bed when we had pains. I can't underland
you, not one little bit."

"Come with me this moment, Orion," said Miss Ramsay. "Diana, if you
speak a word except